Kelapa Muda is a connecting performance full of music, rituals and movement about what it means to be Moluccan now in the Netherlands
Kelapa Muda means young coconut in Malay. A symbol of strength from within: hard on the outside, soft and nourishing on the inside. Those who break through the bark of the Moluccan community discover a world of beauty and resilience. Three theatre makers of Moluccan descent - Joenoes Polnaija, Tara Hetharia and Jefta Tanate - delve into their personal family histories and together show the richness and struggle of 75 years of Moluccan history in the Netherlands.
In Joenoes' family, suitcases were always ready, because the family would one day return to the Moluccas. Joenoes wants his own children to know: we belong here too, in the Netherlands. So that they can really take root. Tara grew up with few stories about her Moluccan ancestors. When she explores, she discovers that she is more connected to her Moluccan roots than she knew. Jefta has one foot in the Dutch and one in the Moluccan community. In both, he feels at home but sometimes misunderstood. Loving, curious and critical, this third generation examines itself and the past in order to consciously look to the future. Kelapa Muda is a connecting performance full of music, rituals and movement about what it means to be Moluccan now in the Netherlands.